Mervin Brass remembers looking up at a wall of prominent Canadian journalists in Regina in the fall of 1992.
Before him were the likenesses of such Canadian journalistic titans as Allan Fotheringham, Pamela Wallin, Peter Mansbridge and Knowlton Nash. He was at the time a student at the University of Regina, studying journalism and communications. He remembers being struck by two thoughts.
First, SA国际影视传媒渢here are no Indigenous people on that wall.SA国际影视传媒� Second, SA国际影视传媒淚 want to be on that wall.SA国际影视传媒�
As the newly appointed senior managing director of CBC North, Brass is making it a priority to increase Indigenous representation in the media so that more Indigenous journalists can find themselves on that wall.
Brass, hailing from the Key First Nation in Saskatchewan, formerly assumes his new role on Oct. 19. He was announced Janice SteinSA国际影视传媒檚 successor in a press release Oct. 2, following her retirement late last month. The CBC is still in the process of hiring a recruit to fill BrassSA国际影视传媒檚 former position of CBC NorthSA国际影视传媒檚 managing editor, a role he served in for four years.
His career has been one of SA国际影视传媒渉ighs and lows and lots of hard work,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淭here's been disappointment in my career where I couldn't get a job I applied for,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut I firmly believe that every time something happens, it's for a reason. It's guiding you into a certain direction.SA国际影视传媒�
As the post changes hands, the North is once again being considered its own news region with the three territories, as opposed to its previous grouping with Saskatchewan and Manitoba as a SA国际影视传媒渟uper-region.SA国际影视传媒�
Still, Brass acknowledges that between the territories, SA国际影视传媒渨e're all three different regions with different priorities.SA国际影视传媒�
While he will remain stationed in Yellowknife, he will be travelling constantly to hear from residents of the different communities.
At the top of BrassSA国际影视传媒檚 priorities is increasing Indigenous representation in newsrooms. He said that once he officially assumes the senior managing role, he plans to meet with communities, educators, institutions and language specialists to create a strategy to offer Indigenous media studies courses at the high school level for students to get SA国际影视传媒渁 taste of what the media is about,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
Brass said those types of introductory courses SA国际影视传媒渃ould spark some interest,SA国际影视传媒� and possibly lead to a year-long training program.
SA国际影视传媒淲e need Indigenous storytellers,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e need Indigenous representation at all levels of the media. Not just at the CBC, but all other media organizations. We need reporters, managers, editors, publishers and producers. We need to get these Indigenous perspectives out into the media to tell those stories.SA国际影视传媒�
In the meantime, Brass said the CBC is working to increase its Indigenous language programming. One project in development to that end is a podcasting project with previously recorded stories from Elders from the 1970s and `80s that has been archived and is now being revived.
Indigenous languages
Brass has noted the importance of producing Indigenous language content and described how his parents, residential school survivors, spoke their languages SA国际影视传媒� his father Anishaanabe and his mother Cree SA国际影视传媒� but neither Brass nor his siblings spoke the language fluently.
He recalls sitting at traditional ceremonies growing up and not understanding what was happening in front of him.
SA国际影视传媒淚 did my best, you know, I would pray when I was there,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut it just felt like I wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 fully a participant. When you donSA国际影视传媒檛 have your culture, for me anyways, I feel literally empty inside. Like thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a void.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淥ur culture is tied to the land, our language is tied to the land. So without that language you have that disconnect. And we are the people, the stewards of the land.SA国际影视传媒�
On progressing into his new role, Brass said heSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渉onouredSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渆xcitedSA国际影视传媒� about it.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be a challenge but ISA国际影视传媒檓 looking forward to it,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
